Enemies who called me Brother
by LaueHime
Summary: Sam and Dean are hunting on a case of fratricides. Dean insists that they can't let people get hurt but he knows his little brother is worried because what they are chasing might just turn against them. Can they save each other or will they fall at the mercy of evil ? Hurt!Sick!Sam and Angst!Protective!Big Brother!Dean
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey there, it is my first attempt at a Supernatural fanfiction so I hope you're going to like it. Thanks for reading and even more for reviewing!**

**Summary : Two brothers and a hunt that is way too personal for the Winchesters when it might just turn against them. Can they save each other or will they fall at the mercy of evil ?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or intend to make any profit out of this. **

**Enjoy!**

**SPN**

Gregory looked at himself in the mirror and tightened his tie before fixing his collar. He paused for a second, considering how formal he looked. With a slight move of his hand, he drew back bangs of hair that had fallen upon his sweaty brow. Somehow he was nervous to go over to his parent's house but he knew he didn't have a choice since it was his mother's birthday. Mostly, he apprehended seeing his brother again because he knew the guy wouldn't miss a chance to pick at him. With a lingering sigh, he caught the present he had picked up earlier that day and walked across his apartment. On the way, he picked up his keys, put on his coat and quietly left the building.

**Eden, Vermont**

He drove up to his old family house as memories came running up to him. He parked on the lawn of large yard and stared for minutes at an old tree that shadowed upon the house. He suddenly remembered one time when he was a kid and his brother made him climb up the tree, assuring the kid that it was safe to do so. Greg also remembered falling off that same tree, thus broking his arm and having to wear a cast for weeks. His brother had convinced their parents that he had nothing to do with it, that it was just the kid fooling around. Gregory was pissed for a while but he quickly forgave his brother whom he loved no matter what.

Shaking away from his memory, the now grown up man walked out of his car and shakily made his way towards the front porch. His mother appeared a few seconds after he rang the door bell and greeted him with a warm hug. "Hey mom, happy birthday!" he wished. She smiled widely.

"Thank you, dear Gregory. Please come inside!" she replied. He nodded and entered the memory-filled place. He took off his coat and hung it in the closet. His mom then led him to the living room where his father and brother were sitting, watching baseball on television. Both of them hardly looked up from the show. Gregory bowed his head with a sense of habit. "Dad. Tom." he greeted them both. His dad took a swig from the bottle of beer he was holding. He then looked up and offered Greg a nod. Thomas finally looked up from the TV with a cocky grin. "Hey, there's my pain in the ass of a brother" he chimed. Greg gulped at the comment when his mother Rose came from behind.

"Thomas, you be nice to your brother for once! It's my birthday, can't I even have some decent time with my family?!" she inquired. Thomas mumbled an apology before burping from his beer. Rose rolled her eyes and motioned for Greg to sit at the table. His brother finally joined him. Rose was finishing the last settings of the table before they could eat. She brought both the mashed potatoes and the boiled vegetables and set them on the table.

Tom started filling his plate with a starving look to his eyes. His brother watched him from the side. Rose came back to the dining room with the plate of meat and yelled over her shoulder to her husband whom was still on the couch. "Ben turn off that TV and have dinner with us!" she ordered. The old man grunted but did as he was told. When they were all seated, Thomas started staring at Gregory. The youngest felt uncomfortable.

"So, little brother. How's school" he asked on a condescending tone. He added his best cocky grin. Benjamin snorted and picked at his steak with his fork. Rose smiled and turned to her youngest.

"Oh yes my dear, how do you like college. Is it cool? Did you make plenty of friends?" his mother asked enthusiastically. Gregory shrugged and watched his brother laugh at their mom's question.

"Come on, mom. You know Greg doesn't have friends!" Tom teased. Greg swallowed a harsh piece of meat. Rose sighed and shook her head.

"What did I say, you leave your brother alone!" she insisted. Thomas shrugged and engulfed a mouthful of potatoes.

"It's ok, mom. And yes I like college" Gregory replied, which made his mother smile. Benjamin slammed the butt of his knife on the table.

"Can't we talk about baseball? I like baseball" he grunted. The youngest bowed his head. Rose sighed, placing her hand upon his. Thomas giggled.

"Right, because daddy's so proud of this kid. Good boy got his way into college, ain't that great?!" he teased. Gregory felt himself boil inside. Rose stood up from her place with an angry look.

"Tom you're just jealous your brother can do what you could not! Now would you please put an end to this for the sake of this family!" she spat. Thomas stopped laughing and gave Greg one last look before stabbing at his steak. Rose sat back down and waited. They ended their meal with no further incident. Thomas went out for a smoke while Greg helped his mother with the dishes.

They finally settled in the living room and Thomas came into the room with a large bouquet of colorful flowers. Rose giggled and sniffed the awesome smell of flowers. She thanked her oldest with a kiss on the cheek. Gregory then pulled a gift from his coat and handed it to his mother. She scrutinized it amusedly then went for the wrapping paper. Inside there was a book.

"What is it" she asked her youngest.

"It's girl crap" Tom joked. That had Benjamin laughing. Gregory didn't pay attention to them.

"We studied that novel in class and it reminded me of you. I really think you are going to like it" he explained. His mother smiled widely.

"Well thank you, sweetheart! That is so nice of you! Your brother keeps buying me flowers but you, you go for something personal. Thank you so much!" she thanked. Greg smiled and hugged his mother. From the corner of his eyes, he saw his brother. Thomas didn't miss the last comment and he looked about to go out of his mind.

Gregory ignored it and went into the kitchen to get the cake. "Such a nice move from you again. You're always the perfect one, aren't you?" he heard. Greg turned to see Thomas, clenching his fists. He went to argue but everything happened to fast. Tom grabbed a pan from the oven and hit his brother with it. Greg put his hands up to protect his face but his brother hit with a blinded rage.

Tom hit and hit and hit. Rose came behind, alerted by the fuss. She let out a loud scream of terror. Tom stopped for a second and looked at the bloody mess he had made. He saw his brother, broken and bloodied. He dropped the pan and sobbed at the realization of what he had done. Remorse filled him whole. A loud pain-filled scream echoed from his deepest core.

**SPN**

**Springfield, Massachusetts **

Sam shifted in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He then took a sip from his coffee. He had lost count of how many he had. For the past days, he had been up and around trying to find a hunt. Dean was getting fidgety and he knew that was because his big brother couldn't wait to get back on the road. Since Sam was the designated researcher, he had been on the net for hours again, looking for a sign of supernatural activity. He heard the faucet of the shower squeak from the movement. _Another cheap motel_. He had to face the fact that this was the way his life would probably be until the day he died.

He often imagined what his life would be if he had done something else. He wondered what it would have been like to go to Stanford and be normal like everybody else. Only, no matter how much he thought he would like to be different, he couldn't picture himself doing anything different. The motels and the hunts with his brother; that was all part of his normal life now.

He snapped out of his thoughts when the bathroom door opened and Dean walked out in a cloud of steam, a towel wrapped around his waist just below his bare chest. Sam frowned. "Did you take a week-worth of warm water or can I expect to have any?" he asked.

Dean smirked. "Nothing less for the hard worker I am!" he replied cockily. Sam let out a long breath.

"Dude, you look terrible!" Dean pointed out, studying the kid's features. Sam rolled his eyes. "Maybe because I have been hard working for the past days, doing some research while you went out with the girls from the bar!" Sam spat.

Dean grinned. "Making girls happy is hard work too, you know!" he replied.

Sam breathed deeply. He wanted to knock some sense into his brother and to make him understand that he was exhausted. Dean caught a glimpse of how his brother didn't feel like joking around and became somehow more serious.

"Ok so did you find anything?" he asked, eyeing the laptop Sam had been working on for hours. The youngest Winchester sighed and turned the computer screen towards his brother. Dean peeked at the articles but he knew Sam would give him the data anyway.

"One week ago, two brothers in their teenage start fighting over a girl. She chose the youngest one of them" Sam stated. Dean waited, eager. "So?" he asked. Sam swallowed.

"So his brother stabbed him with a cutter" Sam finished. Dean winced. "Well, I'd be pissed too if any girl picked you over me. Not that it would happen anyway" Dean finished with a smirk.

Sam rolled his eyes. "He's sixteen, Dean!" he said in disbelief. Dean shrugged but Sam went on.

"Then two days ago, a man named Thomas beat his brother to death with a frying pan during their mother's birthday party…" he completed. Dean remained perplexed.

"And where did that happen?" Dean finally asked.

"Eden, Vermont" Sam specified. Dean grimaced. "Well that sounds heavenly" he joked. Sam didn't know if he should laugh or be perplexed. "What do you think?" he finally asked aloud. Dean shrugged.

"Well, two big brothers getting rid of their worst pain in the ass in the same week, same town. Yeah, we should check it out!" he exclaimed. Sam looked at him deeply. Dean shrugged. "What?!"

The youngest tried to calm down some and rested his eyes on the carpet. "I don't know, Dean" he finally replied. "If whatever this is is making brothers kill each other, I'm not sure I want to jump in!" he confessed. Dean sighed.

"Come on. We have to do something! We cannot just bail on a case like that. Innocent people may be in danger" Dean explained. Sam shrugged.

"We could call Bobby and tell him to send other hunters" he proposed. Dean shook his head. "Let's just check it out, ok? Maybe it's nothing" Dean pleaded. Sam looked back up and right into his brother's eyes.

"Or maybe there's a demon out there, or even a spirit, that likes to possess people and make them kill their siblings!" Sam said. His older brother looked at him seriously.

"Then we have to make sure it doesn't get to anyone else" Dean stated. Sam let out a long breath because he knew there was nothing more he could say to make his big brother change his mind now. "Fine" he mumbled. Dean smirked at his victory.

"Luckily we're not too far from there. Pack your things, we're leaving in half an hour" he stated.

**SPN **

**Eden, Vermont**

Dean parked the Impala outside of a small homely house. He noticed the old tree shadowing it from behind. That reminded him of the tree that covered their old house in Lawrence. The Winchesters both got out of the car, dressed in suit and ties. They walked towards the front porch and knocked on the door. An old and unshaven looking man opened the door with a grunt. Upon seeing the brothers, he frowned.

"Who are you?" he asked. Sam and Dean both raised their federal agents fake badges.

"FBI" Dean stated. "We want to ask you and your family a few questions" he added. The man didn't seem too keen about the idea but he let them in anyway. He walked right to his sofa and crashed down on it. Sitting next to him was a petite woman looking distressed. She stared into nothingness and didn't seem to notice that there were visitors.

Dean cleared his throat. Rose finally looked up. "Who are you?" she asked. Dean looked at Sam and then back at the woman. "I'm agent Plant and this is agent Page" he said pointing towards Sam. The lady nodded without much acknowledgment.

"We've been assigned to your son's case and we understand this happened here. Can you tell us what happened?" Dean continued. Rose started to shake.

"Thomas…he…he hurt my baby" she stuttered. Sam walked forward and sat next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her shivering. She calmed slightly under his touch. Dean rolled his eyes.

"Do you know why Thomas would do something like that?" he asked. The lady shook her head.

"I don't understand. Tom would never… Sure they picked at each other but it was never… I don't know what you want but if you want to understand, speak to Tom" she cried.

Dean nodded. Sam stood up. "Thanks for your help and sorry for your loss" Sam whispered shyly. She nodded and with that, they were gone.

**SPN **

Thomas had been moved to the neurologic ward of Copley Hospital in Morrisville. Sam and Dean had to use their FBI subterfuge again to get to him. When they walked inside the dimly lit room, they found Thomas cuffed to his bed. He lay on his back and stared endlessly at the ceiling. Dean cleared his throat to make their presence known. Thomas slowly turned his eyes towards them. They were dazed eyes. Dean understood just how medicated the guy was.

"Who are you" the boy whispered. Dean took out his badge. "Agent Plant, I'm a fed. I want to ask questions about what happened to Gregory" he stated.

Thomas started shaking and water welled in his eyes. A long tear rolled down his cheek. "I tried to stop…" he started. "Stop what" Dean asked. Sam was standing on the side, looking puzzled. Tom cried some more.

"I could see my hands…the hits… but I couldn't stop" he said. Dean was all ears now. "It wasn't me…" he finally said. "It was something in me…I watched it and felt it kill my brother" he cried. Sam and Dean exchanged worried looks.

"Like you were possessed?" Dean attempted. The guy simply nodded and cried some more. Then he started fighting the cuffs violently. "I couldn't…stop…it. I wasn't…strong…enough! Damn it…Greg!"

**SPN**

It was dark outside. Sam was waiting in the Impala while Dean was checking in at the motel. The youngest Winchester didn't want to admit it in front of his brother but he was terrified. The look in Thomas's eyes was carved into his brain. He could see the hurt and pain as if Thomas really didn't want to kill his brother but didn't have a choice and had to sit back and watch it happen. Sam couldn't help but to think that if the spirit got to Dean, it could do the same. And Dean would be forced to sit back and watch his body take out his own brother as well. A shiver went through his spine at the thought. He snapped out of it when Dean came back with the keys to their room. Sam relaxed a bit and went for his belongings in the trunk.

The brothers sat together in the motel and processed the new data. Sam shivered. "Possession, uh..." he started. Dean nodded. "Demon or spirit… maybe a ghost. Do we know if anything similar ever happened in Eden?" he asked.

Sam shook his head. "I saw a local library. Maybe we can check that out tomorrow" he proposed. Dean nodded.

"So it takes on big brothers and makes them kill their baby brother" Dean stated. Sam stayed silent. "It's creepy" the oldest finally said. Sam shivered. "I don't like it" he said.

Deep down inside, Dean didn't like it either. "Come on, it's not like I would fall for that" Dean said. Sam looked at him deeply, fear obvious in his eyes. "You heard what Thomas said, Dean. He couldn't have controlled it, even if he wanted to…" Sam stated.

Dean shrugged. He didn't know what to say. Deep down, he was scared too.

**TBC**

**That's it for now. Should I go on with this story? Please let me know what you think and thank you for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

_Enjoy the new chapter!_

Sam let out a long sigh. He'd been sitting in the small local library for hours. On his working desk, he had files of all the recorded deaths in Eden. He had also checked the whole history of local newspapers for any clues of past murders resembling the ones that had recently taken place in the small town. To top it all, he had his laptop going on some research of anything that would help him figure out what they were up against.

He could feel the pounding in his head that came with fatigue and high level of concentration. What bothered him the most was the level of connection he felt between himself and the case he was working on. Both Dean and himself felt concerned about the deaths since they were happening between brothers. As Sam felt he was getting closer to an answer, he was also getting more anxious of what would happen.

He thought about Dean. The oldest Winchester had gone his way in the morning, mentioning something about "checking out the place" and "meeting some people". Sam understood that this meant finding the closest bar and "talking" to girls.

For the moment he didn't bother with this as he was more preoccupied with the discoveries he was making. He grabbed his cell phone and sent a text message to his brother. There was no reason to hurry but he just informed his sibling that he had found something and that he would follow through.

**SPN**

Dean entered the tavern and went directly for the bar where he pulled himself a stool and leaned on the counter. The girl behind the bar made her way to the newcomer. Besides Dean, the place was almost empty. There were two guys playing pool and an old man sitting alone in a corner.

The barkeeper was finally in front of the oldest Winchester. He greeted her with a wide smile. She gave one in return before studying him closely.

"You're a little early" she pointed out. Dean shrugged innocently.

"I'm visiting and those are the places I like to check out first" he said pointing to a bottle of whiskey.

The lady nodded and grabbed a glass from under the counter. She soon filled it with the liquor and handed it over with a blush. She couldn't help but to notice how attractive the man was and Dean himself was caught looking at the woman.

She blushed even more and the man's smile widened as he noticed it. The barkeeper looked down before she would blush even more and make the situation even more awkward.

"Sorry, we don't get a lot of visitors around here" she explained.

"It's okay"

"What brings you in Eden?" she asked curiously.

"Work" he said bluntly.

"What kind of work brings you around here?"

"The kind that makes me travel to random places all the time" he replied.

She nodded, asking no more questions since she felt like she was going to pry. Dean emptied his glass in a gulp and pointed at it to make her understand he wanted a refill. The girl grabbed the bottle and poured the liquid into the glass.

"It's on me" she offered. He looked at her with wide eyes.

"We don't get a lot of attractive tourists so let it be my way of saying 'welcome to Eden'" she added. Dean nodded and took a swig of the liquor.

"Thanks. I'm Dean anyway" he voiced.

"Emma" she smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Emma. Eden seems so much better all of a sudden"

She blushed. Dean felt light motion into his pocket and pulled his cell phone out in time to see that his younger brother sent him a text message. He read it quickly and looked up with a pout.

"I'll have to be on my way" he said. She gave him a pout as well.

"Is that work calling?"

"Yeah you could say that". Dean thought for a second.

Maybe he could still get something good out of this meeting. "Hey Emma, did you notice anything out of the ordinary, recently?"

She thought and shrugged. "I don't know. Depends what you mean by that"

"Anything… disrupting. Like unexplained violent acts maybe" he tried. She paused, looking terrified. Dean tensed.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked. Dean pulled out his fake badge again.

"I'm actually a federal agent. I'm here to assess the cases of family violence that occurred earlier this week. Do you happen to know anything about that?"

Emma looked at him straight in the eyes. "So it's happening again…" she whispered.

"What is?"

"When I was a kid something like that happened to my friend… her dad went crazy and killed his brother" she confessed. Dean took in the information and nodded slowly.

"So it happened before. When?"

"About fifteen years ago. Do you think you can find out what happened?"

"I'll try. Thanks Emma"

She nodded. Dean thought for a second and then decided to give her his phone number.

"Here. Call me if anything comes to mind… a memory, a clue, anything" he said.

He then stood up and went for the door when he noticed the man that had been sitting alone all along. He recognized him as Benjamin, Thomas and Gregory's father. There was something strange about the man. Dean let it go for now and left the bar, distraught.

**SPN**

Sam was still sitting at the library when Dean came in with two coffees in hand. The youngest thanked him for the gesture before they settled in to share their recent discoveries. Sam fueled himself on the coffee before putting some sense of order into his documents. He turned to Dean.

"Let me guess, you spoke to some lady in a bar" he blunted. Dean frowned.

"She got me precious information" he defended. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Go ahead"

"She said it happened before to someone she knew. It's not the first time this happens here, in Eden"

"I know, I've found some records of past cases. It all ended the same way"

Dean nodded when something else crossed his mind.

"I saw Benjamin at the bar" he blurted out. Sam frowned.

"Thomas' father" Dean added. Sam nodded and waited for the rest of the story.

"There was something off about him. I couldn't quite grasp what though"

"So what makes you say that?"

"I don't know… a hunch"

Sam shrugged. "So what, you think he has anything to do with this?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's not that. Dude, I don't know what it is but this guy gives me the creeps" Dean explained. Sam almost laughed but he repressed it. He chose to go on with his findings instead.

"As I said, I found out that it happened before. There were cases through the last decades. I'd say a dozen maybe". Dean shivered at the thought.

"Anything that would tell us what we're chasing?" he wondered. Sam frowned.

"That's the thing. When I search for fratricide in Eden I always end up with the same results…"

Dean waited anxiously for the rest of the story, not liking the look in Sam's eyes.

"What is it, Sam?"

Sam swallowed, shaking at the thought of what the truth could be. Dean started to get impatient.

"Sammy?"

"It's Sam. And the tracks all lead to the book of genesis…"

"Could you be a bit more specific?"

"Cain and Abel, Dean. Adam and Eve's children. According to the bible, Cain is the first human to have committed murder and he did it on his own brother. Belief is that he did it out of jealousy because god accepted Abel's offering instead of Cain's" Sam explained. Dean was taken aback.

"I know the story, but really?! You think this old tale has anything to do with the murders?"

"Makes sense. Then again, we won't know for sure until we see it"

Dean nodded. He thought for a second before turning back to his brother.

"So what is it? A spirit?" he finally asked. Sam shrugged.

"Could be. Cain's spirit possesses the body of an eldest and makes him kill his brother. But then again, why would he do that? He's killed his brother once, why would he want to do it over and over again?"

"I don't know, Sam. That's what we need to find out if we want to kill it"

"And how do we do that? It's not like we have any bones to burn!" Sam exclaimed. Dean shook his head.

"If we can't torch it, we have to make him face the truth" the eldest explained. Sam frowned.

"What truth? That he's a murderer?"

"That he made a mistake. Remember what Thomas and his mom said. Sure the brothers had darker moments but Thomas never hated Gregory enough to want him dead… but now he can't do anything about it…"

Sam nodded. Dean rubbed his temples.

"Damn it, what have we gotten ourselves into? Angry bible spirits?! When this is over, we're so taking vacations!" he exclaimed. Sam looked at him perplexed.

"Vacations?"

"Yes, dude. Freaking vacations! You, me and lots of chicks and beer!"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Dean" .

"What, you don't agree? Sam, promise me we'll take some time for ourselves when this is over" Dean pleaded. Sam looked down, frozen.

"If I'm not dead by then…" he murmured. Dean froze as well.

"Don't you talk like that! You'll be fine and you're coming to vacation with me!" Dean ordered. Sam looked into his brother's eyes.

"Fine" he agreed, not too convinced himself.

"That's right" Dean claimed. "Bitch" he added softly.

"Jerk…"

**SPN **

Dean and Sam left the library shortly after that and hopped in the Impala, driving around until they decided where they wanted to start investigating. Dean soon spotted a little diner and his stomach got the best of him. He cried that he was starving and that he'd die if he didn't get his cheeseburger. Sam rolled his eyes and let his brother drive them to the small diner.

They went inside the restaurant and chose a seat near the window. An old lady came to the table and poured some coffee. Dean quickly ordered a cheeseburger with bacon and onions while Sam opted for a healthier sandwich. The waitress nodded and left with their orders.

Dean rested against the back of the seat and sighed.

"I want to call Bobby and ask him what he thinks of this" he started. Sam nodded.

"It's a good idea. Make sure he gives us ideas on how to get rid of it" Sam replied.

He looked at the waitress standing at the counter where a man had just taken a seat on a stool. She appeared to know him but then again Sam thought that in this kind of town, everybody knew everyone. Dean noticed who Sam was staring at and chuckled.

"I can tell you the girl from the bar was much cuter!"

Sam looked back at Dean with a discouraged look.

"What?!" Dean asked, feeling guilty of his comment.

The waitress came back with their orders and handed them both their plates. Dean almost swallowed his fries whole. Sam kept his attention on the man at the counter. He felt like something was off, even though he didn't know what. He soon understood where his feeling was coming from when a large man came out of the kitchen and started yelling at the man at the counter.

"What are you doing here?"

"Dan, let me explain!"

"Save it, Nick. I don't even want to hear it"

"Why are you mad at me? What did I do…"

"Everything I couldn't! Now get that educated ass of yours out of here before I kick you out myself!"

"Dan…"

"Out!"

The man bowed his head down and walked out the diner. The other man fumed with rage. He let out a few forbidden words before flying back into the kitchen. Sam hadn't missed anything from the scene and one look at Dean told him that his brother had also paid attention to the whole issue. The waitress came back to pour them some coffee. Sam looked up at her.

"Who was that?"

She looked at him puzzled. "Well, that's Nicholas, Daniel's younger brother. Everybody around here knows how much Dan hates his Nick…" she explained. Sam's eyes rounded like balls.

"Wait they're brothers?" he asked concerned. The lady nodded.

"Their parents were never fortunate and Dan couldn't afford to go to college. Everybody knows it broke something inside him when Nick managed to have a scholarship. Things were never the same after that…" she explained.

The Winchesters looked at each other with round eyes. The waitress mentioned something about having to go back to work but it went unnoticed after what the boys had just learned.

"You think they're next?" Dean asked out loud. Sam nodded lightly.

"We have to warn them" he said.

**SPN **

Sam and Dean waited at the exit of the restaurant when Daniel came out. They ran towards him. The large man tried to avoid them but the brothers caught up with him and forced him to stop.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"We're FBI agents" Dean said showing off his badge. The man swallowed.

"We know about the murders that took place in this town" Dean started.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"That's what I want to know. From the way you acted with your brother in there, I want to make sure you're not next on the list!" Dean stated. The man gulped.

"I wouldn't kill him…" he started.

"Then patch things up with him before something happens!"

"What are you saying?"

"Life's too short to hold grudges, you know. It'll destroy you" Dean stated. The man looked confused.

"With everything that has happened, allow me to be concerned about your behavior towards your brother. When you let that go, I'll let you off the hook" Dean announced.

The man rolled his eyes. "Ok, whatever" he said. He then hopped in his car and disappeared. Dean pointed to the Impala. Sam nodded and they got in the car.

"Should we follow him for tonight? Just to be sure…" Sam proposed. Dean nodded and went in the direction the man went.

**SPN**

The boys followed Daniel to his house and hid their car where they wouldn't be seen. They stayed in the Impala for hours, watching the house in case something strange happened.

Dean went to sleep from the lack of action while Sam stayed on guard. Around the end of the night, a car came to the house and Sam straightened in his seat. He watched as Nicholas got out of the car. He turned to shake Dean out of his sleep. The oldest woke up slowly and faced his brother.

"Wa's goin' on?" he asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Sam went out of the car. Dean, startled, went out after him. He noticed the other car and looked at Sam for answers.

"Nicholas…" he whispered. Dean was suddenly wide awake. He followed Sam as they walked around the house to find a place to spy on what was going on inside.

Dan let Nick inside and led him to the kitchen where he offered him a beer. He took one for himself and drank it frantically to try to control his feelings of anger towards his brother. Nicholas took in a deep breath and looked his brother in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Dan. I really wish it wasn't like that between us"

"Like what? I live a crappy life like mom and dad while you have the perfect college graduate life. I don't see where the problem is me"

"I know you hold a lot of anger…"

"So what, you'll be my shrink or something? I don't need your pity!"

"I'm here to make amends!"

"Bull! I don't want any of it"

The room suddenly went very cold. Daniel shivered. "Wait a sec. I'll go check the back door"

He left Nicholas standing there and walked towards the back door. Sam and Dean noticed the move from outside and followed the action. Dan double checked the door to make sure it was closed. A long shiver went through him and then he went stiff.

He walked back to the kitchen, dragging his feet. Upon arriving near his brother, he lifted his fist and punched said little brother in the face. Sam stiffened and ran towards the back door to find it locked. Dean pushed him aside and blew the lock with a bullet.

Nicholas looked up at his brother, his face saddened. Daniel clenched his fists and hit his brother again and again.

"I hate you! You get it so easy, it's frustrating! Why does it always have to be you! You were always the favorite!" he blamed, raising his fist one more time.

Dean grabbed his arm and tackled him. Sam ran by Nicholas' side and pulled him to his feet. Dean held Dan on the floor.

"Get him out, Sam!" he yelled. Sam nodded and ran out of the house with Nick.

"Who are you" the man asked.

"The guy who just saved your ass!" Sam blunted. He opened the back door of the Impala.

"Wait for me here" he ordered.

Then he grabbed shackles from the trunk and ran back to his brother. Dan was taking control over Dean. Sam hit the back of the man's head. The brothers then grabbed him and tied him to a chair with the iron shackles Sam brought in. Dan growled in anger and Dean rubbed his face where he'd been punched.

"What is this? Let me go!" Dan shouted. Sam shook his head.

"Who are you?"

"If you don't let me go, I swear…the Winchesters!" he finally said in recognition. Both brothers were startled to be called by their names.

"Are you Cain?" Sam asked. Dan giggled but it wasn't Dan anymore. His laugh was cold.

"You shouldn't have interfered…" he started.

"Tell us who you are!" Dean shouted. Dan laughed again.

"You know who I am. Don't think you boys will get away with getting in my way…"

"I'm not scared of you" Dean spat.

"You should be" Dan said icily. Dean shivered.

"I'll come for you soon" he added. As dean was about to reply, a dark mist came out of Dan.

"Son of a bitch…" Dean breathed.

Dan was unconscious on the chair, a dark liquid running out of his ear. Sam unfroze himself from his spot and walked closer to the man tied on the chair. He pressed his fingers to the liquid and looked at Dean.

"It's ectoplasm" he announced. Dean clenched his fist.

"Damn spirit…"

Sam swallowed, a beaten look in his eyes. Dean noticed it and sent him a questioning look.

"You heard him, Dean. He knows we're here now and he wants to come for you…"

"Yeah I heard that, Sammy. But I'm not going to let it happen"

"Dean…"

"I know, Sam. I know"

**SPN**

**TBC.**

**Thank you for the great reviews! I'm glad people are getting into this story. I hope you will enjoy it and keep reviewing to let me know what you think! Any comments or even suggestions, just hit the review button!**

**Take care guys !**


	3. Chapter 3

_Here is the new chapter. I'm sorry for the delay. Enjoy_ !

**SPN**

A deep moan came from the bed closest to the door and then there was movement under the sheets. Dean stirred and his eyes finally opened to slits. He could see the first beams of sun light pierce through the crack between the curtains.

He turned quickly to peek at the second bed in the room, only to find it empty.

"Sam ?"

He heard some light shuffling from the bathroom and then the gigantic form of his brother appeared in the doorway.

"What the hell are you doing up at five thirty in the morning? " Dean spat.

Sam shrugged. "I was just double checking the salt lines and protection charms" he replied lousily before dropping back to his bed, face towards the ceiling.

Dean yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before sitting up. He studied his brother for a while and his big brother alert mode turned on.

_Jesus, Sammy_ he thought. The youngest looked as though he hadn't gotten any sleep at all.

His eyes were circled with purple shadows and his brow was darkened by stress lines. Dean knew it probably had everything to do with the ghost of Cain they were after and the fact that the spirit had told them he would come for them.

Dean let out a long sigh and stood up from his bed to sit next to Sam on the other bed. The youngest appeared to pull out of his thoughts when the bed dug beneath him from the added weight of someone else on the bed.

He looked up to find Dean's eyes and they were full of concern. Sam brought his elbows under himself and propped himself up on the bed.

"Don't give me that look, I'm fine Dean" he said quickly. Dean shook his head.

"Bull, Sam. Have you gotten any sleep at all? ", the eldest asked, worried somehow.

Sam sighed. "Yeah, I think I managed to get an hour or two", he replied honestly.

It was Dean's turn to hiss. "You worry about this too much. I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, not on my watch. And besides, I intend on finding the son of a bitch before it finds us" he assured.

"Dean, we don't even know for sure how to get rid of it!" Sam pointed out.

The eldest rolled his eyes. "We'll find, Sammy. How about you go pick up some breakfast at the diner, uh? I'll call Bobby while you're gone and see what he knows about this" he proposed.

Sam seemed unsure but he let it go. He grabbed the keys of the Impala and mumbled that he would be back as soon as possible. Dean nodded and watched his brother's back while he left. He then let the stress roll out of him through a long sigh.

He reached out to the bed table to grab his cell phone and rolled down his contacts until he hit the old hunter and family friend's name. He then pushed the call button and waited anxiously while he heard the rings.

After too long to Dean's liking, a gruff voice sounded from the receiver's end.

_"Hello"_

"Bobby… it's Dean" he started. The oldest Winchester could feel the annoyance from where he sat when the old man answered again.

_"Boy, you better have a damn good reason to wake me up before the sun shining" _Bobby grunted.

Dean swallowed. "I don't know what to do, Bobby" he confessed. From his kitchen, Bobby could tell the panic behind the confession and let the tension loosen.

_"Ok, what's going on?"_ he asked on a much lighter tone.

Dean took in a few breaths before he started rambling. "Sam and I are on a hunt for a spirit that kills brothers, man. Now it knows we're here and it wants to come after us. Sam's worried to death, I can tell, and I want to reassure him but something inside me is just as scared as he is. Now how can I protect him _and _find a way to gank some stupid biblical dick that's been killing people for some reason I can't even begin to comprehend"

There was silence on the line. Dean breathed in and out to regain some oxygen after his outburst.

_"Damn it, Dean. That was too much information on such a short amount of time. I didn't get my coffee yet. Now if you don't mind starting from the beginning…"_ the old man growled.

Dean nodded until he realized Bobby couldn't see him from the other side of the phone.

"Sam and I are in Eden. We came here two days ago because of murders that happened in the neighborhood. They were all fratricides, Bobby. After some research, we found out that it might be the spirit of Cain that's possessing older brothers and making them kill their younger sibling out of anger and jealousy. The thing is, we saved a man from being killed by the ghost and now it might be after us" Dean explained.

Bobby took a few seconds to let the information sink in.

_"You said the spirit is possessing people?" _

"Yeah, we talked to one of the brothers who was possessed and that's what he said. Told us he felt like he was watching it happen but he couldn't control it" Dean explained.

_"Balls", _Bobby uttered. _"It's not like we could burn the body"_ he added.

"Yeah, we know. Sam made the same comment. Then how do we get rid of it?"

_"Let me figure something out and I'll call you back"_ Bobby demanded.

"Alright, thanks Bobby"

_"It's fine. And you Idjits take care of yourselves, ok? Wait 'til we figure something out and don't do anything stupid!" _

**SPN**

Sam walked inside the diner. It was quiet due to the early hour. A few people were sitting and sipping coffee. Sam recognized the waitress that had served them on the previous day when they had first found out about Nicholas and Daniel.

For a second, Sam wondered if Daniel was there, working in the kitchen. He sat at the counter and stretched his neck to see if he could get a view inside the kitchen area.

The waitress recognized him. After all, they didn't get too many tourists and very little of them were as handsome as the two men that she served the day before.

She greeted Sam with a large smile.

"Hello there. What can I get you today?" she asked.

Sam smiled lightly and gave out his order to go. The waitress assured him it wouldn't take long and left to give the order directly to the cook.

Sam sat there and waited. He felt a shill run down his back when he noticed Dan was staring at him from the kitchen. He tried to guess what the look held but he gave up and looked down, feeling awkward. So Daniel had come back to work this morning. Sam didn't know why but he felt like making sure it was really Dan.

The only way he thought of doing it was to call to the waitress. She came to him with the same grin she had before.

"What is it, honey?", she asked.

Sam frowned at the nickname but gave it no further thought.

"Do I just imagine things or is it cold around here? Oh and I believe I saw the lights flickering" he tried.

The waitress looked at him with a puzzled look. "Oh dear, I think that was just your imagination. It's probably because you're hungry. Here, have a cookie. Don't worry it's on me" she offered.

Sam nodded his thanks and felt compelled to eat the cookie from the look the lady was giving him. He ate it silently and waited for her to finally bring him is order. He grabbed the brown paper bag and the coffees and walked out of the diner with one last look at Daniel.

The youngest Winchester drove back to the motel. Once he got in, he noticed that the bathroom door was closed and that the water was running. He placed the bag of food on the table and started to take out its content. The water finally turned off.

"Dean, I'm back. Come out now while the food is still warm!" he warned his big brother.

At the mention of food, Dean was out the door and ready to take his first bite. Sam rolled his eyes at the sight and chuckled lightly. He then joined his brother and started picking at his food.

Dean swallowed a mouthful of food and gulped down a large sip of black coffee then looked at Sam seriously.

"You intend on picking at your food all day or you're actually going to eat it?" he asked.

Sam frowned. "I'm not really hungry" he replied.

It was Dean's turn to frown. "Dude you can't afford to be scrawny with that gigantic body of yours!" he teased. He started giggling but stopped when he saw the serious look in his brother's eyes.

"Sammy, what's going on?" he asked, his tone sweating of concern.

Sam avoided his brother's piercing gaze.

"Sam Winchester you look me in the eye and tell me what's going on in that head of yours!" Dean ordered.

Sam flinched at the direct order from his brother. For a second he thought he heard his dad from back when they were arguing because Sam would keep quiet about things.

He finally looked up and into his brother's eyes. Dean's gaze was intense. Sam could only guess that his big brother wanted an answer and not later than now.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Dean" he admitted. Dean relaxed slightly but his brother alert was still on.

"What is it?"

Sam exhaled nervously.

"Sam?" Dean insisted.

The youngest shook his head. "I don't know. Call it a hunch or whatever…" he started.

"Based on what" Dean asked.

"I saw Dan at the diner. He went to work as if nothing happened. But it's the way he looked at me… I don't know, Dean" Sam explained.

Dean nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"So, what did Bobby say?" Sam suddenly asked, changing the subject.

Dean took a few seconds to recall his conversation with the older hunter.

"He said he'd look into it and call me back when he found something" he answered.

Sam nodded. Dean finished his coffee and sighed. He had a plan and didn't know what Sam would say of it.

"Listen, Sam. There is some place I need to go. How about we meet again after? I'll tell you if I get anything from Bobby" he said suddenly.

Sam looked up with his eyes full of surprise.

"Oh, ok. I guess I could go see Thomas and see if I can get more information from him" he proposed.

Dean smiled and nodded. "Good idea. So I'll call you when I hear from Bobby and then I will also tell you where to meet me!"

Sam only nodded and with that, Dean waved a _see you later_ and left. The youngest sat there perplexed.

"You're welcome for the breakfast" he murmured to the empty room.

**SPN**

It was the beginning of the afternoon already.

Dean walked into the bar he had visited the day before. He was crossing his fingers, hoping that Emma was working today too. He didn't know why he couldn't bring himself to tell Sam that he was going to meet her. It's not like he was there to flirt or anything. In fact, he wanted to ask her more information about what happened fifteen years ago.

He walked over to the counter and met another barkeeper that he didn't know and who was much less cute than Emma was. She was older and more built.

Dean took place at the bar and the lady came to him without the warm smile Emma had given him.

"What can I get you?" she asked.

"I'm actually looking for someone who works here. Her name's Emma. I was wondering if she would be working today" he asked.

"Emma? She doesn't start until four" the lady replied. Dean nodded.

"Then I'll take some whiskey, please" he demanded. The barkeeper, whom Dean thought must be the owner, grabbed a glass and poured the liquor into it. Dean nodded and swallowed it down. It would be a long wait.

**SPN **

Sam made it to Copley Hospital and worked his way to Thomas' room with the help of his fake ID. He took a step back when he saw that the young man was not alone. In the chair next to the bed, Benjamin sat and stared at the sleeping form of his son.

Sam cleared his throat and walked into the room.

"Hello Sir, I believe we've met before. I'm agent Page and I'm responsible for your son's case" Sam greeted.

The man sent him an evil glare before turning away from him.

"I don't care about the government or any of their crap. I'm not going to talk to you either" he announced.

Sam frowned. "Sir, we just want to understand…" he started.

"There's nothing to understand! My son is dead" he said. There was something in his voice that changed. Sam could swear he heard desperation and pain.

"I understand and I am sorry for your loss" Sam tried.

The man shook his head with a grimace. "No you don't. You can never understand. How could you?"

Sam nodded and apologized to the man. It didn't make the situation more comfortable. Sam waited for a while and then he cleared his throat again.

"Can I still ask you how it was that night?" Sam demanded.

Benjamin sighed. He never looked up when he started explaining. "I don't know what happened. The boys were picking on each other like they always do. I never cared for Gregory like I did for Benjamin. The kid was just different. Said he had ideas of his own or something. He always did differently from the rest of the family…"

Sam felt his chest constrict as that reminded him so much of himself. The man went on.

"But I liked the kid. That night, Tom was picking on him and my wife made some comments that angered him or something. He went outside for a while and when he came back, he was different…"

"Different how?" Sam asked, feeling like he was getting something.

"He was cold. Hell the whole room felt cold. He went straight to the kitchen and that's when it happened" the broken father explained. Sam hadn't missed a thing from the confession. _Cold_? That confirmed the ghost possession story. Only, that wasn't anything that he didn't already know. He cleared his throat one last time.

"Sir, do you think I can speak to your son?" he asked. Benjamin looked down at the bed.

"Don't you see he's sleeping?"

"Trust me, I can wait"

The father shrugged. He grabbed his jacket and walked limply out of the room.

Sam waited until Thomas finally stirred into consciousness. He waited for the kid to be fully aware of his surroundings before he went forward.

"Hey Thomas! Do you remember me? I'm agent Page. I was here with my brother the other day…" he started.

Thomas blinked at him before recognition crossed his eyes and he nodded.

"Yeah, the agents with rockstar names. What do you want?" he spat.

Sam swallowed.

"I know what happened and I think you do too. How did it feel?" he asked.

"I told you. It was like I couldn't control my body anymore. That sounds crazy, I know!"

"No it doesn't. I believe you. You can trust me" Sam assured. Tom looked at him, perplexed.

"Yeah, that sounds even crazier" he spat. He then clenched his fists which Sam could see were still held by restraints.

"What did it feel like when it left your body?" Sam continued.

Thomas stopped fidgeting. He swallowed nervously and blinked sluggishly. He looked at Sam again.

"It could feel anger… such anger… while my body delivered the hits. Then when I realized what I had done. I felt overwhelmed by guilt… but it wasn't just my guilt. I think _it _also felt guilty. Then nothing. It was gone…" he explained, a haunted look in his eyes.

Sam stared wide-eyed. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to add up and fall into place.

"Was there anything else? Anything at all that you can recall… whatever it is" Sam tried, praying silently.

"Isn't that enough already?! I killed my brother for Christ's sake!" Tom snapped and tears of anger rolled down his cheeks. Sam closed his eyes for a second.

"I know you're in pain. But if there is anything else that you remember, it could help us get rid of the thing that made you kill your brother…" he started. Thomas frowned deeply.

"You're not a cop, are you? This is crazy! I'm going nuts!" he yelled.

"You're not going crazy. This is real. My brother and I are going to put an end to it!" Sam snapped back.

Tom froze and looked at Sam with a weird expression Sam couldn't quite get. It looked like pity.

"Your brother?" Tom was startled at the realization. "That's why…" he whispered.

He looked at Sam with sorry eyes.

"I'm really sorry for you but there is no escaping it…" he said with clear pity in his eyes.

**SPN **

Dean spotted three guys playing pool in a corner of the bar. He slowly walked over to them. They were laughing when they noticed him. They all stiffened and turned towards him with cocky grins and crossed over arms.

"You're not from around here, are you?" one of them asked. He was a tall blonde.

"What brings you in Eden?" another added. He was shorter than the other one by a few inches and had chestnut hair.

Dean smiled. "You guys wanna make this game interesting?" Dean asked with his own cocky grin.

The third one started laughing. He was about the same size as the two others and he wore his hair really short.

"You don't know who you're up against" he said with a nod towards the two others.

"Jim, let him play if he wants to play…" the blonde one said.

"You mean let him lose", corrected the one with the chestnut hair.

The blonde smiled and walked towards Dean, extending his hand. "I'm Matt, this is Billy and the one over there is James" he presented.

"It's William" the second one growled with dark eyes.

Dean didn't pay attention to them. "I'm Dean" he chimed. "Let's play" he added with a grin.

**SPN**

Dean looked at his watch and realized it was almost four. Time had gone so fast. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. With a quick apology, he retreated from the pool table with his phone and a nice little load of money. He had won each and every game without breaking a sweat. Matt and Bill had been bickering over the fact that Dean got to get away with the money. Jim just glared at the Winchester.

Dean went outside to get a better reception. He nodded when he saw Bobby's name from the caller ID.

"Hey Bobby! Did you find anything?"

_"Well this wasn't easy but at last I found a spell that could be used against evil spirits. This should work"_

"It should work or it will work, Bobby? I can't take any chance with this!" Dean asked nervously.

The older hunter scratched the back of his head while looking over at the spell he held in his hand.

_"It's supposed to work but I don't know, Dean. I've never heard of _that_ spirit before. It shouldn't be any different than the others. So yeah, I'm e-mailing it to you as we speak!" _

"Thanks Bobby, I appreciate it" Dean replied and then silence fell over the line.

_"Everything ok with you, boys?"_ Bobby asked. Dean looked around himself. He knew he should call Sam.

"Yeah it's fine. I'll call you later" the Winchester said. Bobby nodded to himself and they both hung up, thus ending the conversation.

Dean checked his e-mails and found the spell Bobby sent him. It was Latin and he knew he would need Sam to recite it. His brother was the geek-boy after all.

He went to his contact list again and pressed dial when he hit Sam's number. His younger brother picked up after a few rings.

_"Dean, man, where are you?" _ Sam asked with a sense of urgency.

"I'm not done here, sorry bro. But hey, Bobby called. He found a spell and e-mailed it to me. He said it should work" Dean explained.

_"Are you sure the spell is right?" _

"No but it's all we've got so we'll have to try" Dean confessed. He heard Sam's tired hiss on the phone.

_"I may have a lead too… I talked to Thomas" _Sam started.

Dean saw Emma pull up to the parking and walk towards the bar.

"Alright, Sammy. You keep that in mind for later. I gotta go" Dean said quickly before shutting off his phone and going after the barkeeper.

Sam let out an annoyed sighed. "It's Sam" he growled, turning the line off on his phone.

**SPN**

Dean sat at the bar, waiting for his favorite barkeeper to join him. He leaned on the counter when he finally spotted her. She was talking with the lady Dean thought to be the owner of the place. He saw the lady nod towards him and Emma cast him a sideways look. She nodded to the other lady and made her way over to Dean.

As she approached, she finished fixing her black apron over and down her waist and smiled widely at the handsome man she remembered from the previous day.

"You again? Didn't think I'd see you so soon. Whiskey? " she asked.

Dean nodded and flashed her one of his famous Winchester grin – the one he gave the ladies when they knew how to work their way around him. He swallowed the whole whiskey in one large gulp.

"Long day, uh? " she asked. Dean stretched his neck to the side and put the glass back down on the counter.

"Tell that to those guys" he said, nodding towards the pool table he left earlier. Emma didn't understand what he meant by that but she didn't push it. Instead, she filled Dean's glass once more. He nodded and took a swig.

She rested her elbows on the counter in front of him and sighed.

"About what we said yesterday…" she started.

Dean looked at her seriously.

"I'm not sure about what happened but I don't know why, I feel like I need to tell you about it" she finished.

Dean nodded. "Did you think of anything?" he asked.

"Well…" she started and seemed to be debating whether to tell or not to tell.

"Go ahead, no matter what it is" Dean encouraged. She ran a nervous hand through her hair and looked up to meet Dean's eyes.

"It was my friend's birthday. We were really close so she invited me to the party with her whole family. I got along well with her parents. Anyway, the evening went well until her grand-parents started bringing up family stories. It went downhill from there…" she explained. Dean urged her to keep going.

"Her father started saying awful things to her uncle. He was the oldest I think… said he always had to take care of him and never got anything in return, not even from his parents. He was really angry…" she continued.

At that point she started shaking. Dean put a reassuring hand on her arm. She relaxed a little bit and went on.

"They started fighting…I don't know. Then her uncle decided to leave. That's when her father went after his brother and…", she was sobbing now, even with Dean's hand rubbing her arm.

"And what? " he pressed.

"He ran his brother over with his car" she cried. Tears pooled in her eyes now.

"My friend was never the same after that. We had to go our separate ways…" she added.

Dean rubbed her arm some more. "I'm sorry to hear that" he said. She nodded and thanked him.

He waited a little bit so she could dry her tears.

"Was there anything else at all that you can recall? Anything strange?" he asked. She frowned.

"You mean besides all of that?" she spat. Dean closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

"Maybe… no it doesn't make sense" she started but stopped herself. At that point, Dean would have taken anything.

"Please, what is it?" he begged.

"This happened in the summer… but somehow for a moment, everything felt… so cold. And I swear there was something going on with the lights…" she confessed. Dean nodded with wide eyes. That is exactly the kind of information he wanted.

"Kinda like now" she added suddenly. Dean turned wide eyes to her and saw his own breath materialize in front of him. A chill went down his spine. As the lights came back to normal after a few seconds, Dean heard commotion from the back of the bar.

He turned in time to see Matt and William start to fight. He knew they had been bickering over the pool games but this was a strange timing. Emma noticed where Dean's attention was going and she shrugged it off.

"Oh, them. Don't worry, they're brothers. They fight all the time and then they always patch things up" she said.

Dean turned to her with panic written all over his face. "Brothers?"

**SPN**

Sam thought about going back to the motel since it was getting late and he still had no news from Dean. He sighed heavily and started slowly towards their room. He stopped violently when he passed in front of the diner where he had picked breakfast from. There were police-line yellow tapes all around the place and a few cops were still on the scene.

Sam pulled out his fake badge again and ran over to the diner. From what the cops told him, a man that worked in the kitchen there had stabbed another man with a kitchen knife. From the looks of it, the two were brothers.

Sam cursed towards the sky. So Dan had gotten his way to Nick anyway. He couldn't wait to find that spirit so he could destroy it once and for all.

His cell phone rang and he looked up to see a text message from his brother. It was an address. Dean told him to meet him at that place.

"Finally" Sam mumbled. He checked his map and realized it was too far to make it there on foot. He spotted a parking lot and decided to "borrow" a car.

He drove furiously to reach his brother. He wasn't going to enjoy telling him that Nicholas was dead. When Sam made it to the address Dean had given him, he wondered if he had gotten it right. He was a little out of town. Sam had passed a lake also called Eden and he pulled up in front of an old beaten and abandoned looking barn. He quickly spotted the Impala and was instantly reassured to find his brother there. Dean was leaning with his back against his car.

Sam pulled his car to a stop and hopped down, excited to meet with his brother.

"Dean, finally! There's something I have to tell you!" he breathed.

Dean stretched his head back and cocked it to the side. "What is it?" he asked impatiently.

"I passed in front of the diner and there were cops everywhere. I don't know how but it's Daniel, Dean. He killed Nicholas" Sam explained, out of breath from the urgency of the situation.

"Oh, I know Sammy" Dean spoke. Sam heard a clicking sound and suddenly he saw the gun pointed right at his chest.

"I'm glad you're here" Dean said with a slight grin while tightening his hold on his gun.

**TBC**

**Well well this is where it ends for now. I didn't expect this chapter to be this long but words kept flowing out of me so yeah. Take it as a make-up gift for the wait. Also, thanks a lot to those who take the time to review. It means the world to me. My summer vacations have started and I hope that it means I can write more. So stay tuned to know the rest of the story !**


	4. Chapter 4

**Enjoy the new chapter!**

**SPN**

_Sam heard a clicking sound and suddenly he saw the gun pointed right at his chest._

_"I'm glad you're here" Dean said with a slight grin while tightening his hold on his gun._

Sam stiffened. Of all the things he could have expected, this was definitely far from it. Dean's muscles were tensed, almost mechanical. Sam could see the look of anger in his brother's eyes. But it wasn't Dean. A fine trickle of goo rolling from the eldest's ear was a testimony to that.

"Dean?" Sam breathed. His bottom lip quivered as he realized what was happening. He instinctively drew his arms closer to his body in order to psychologically shield himself from pain.

Dean's brow tensed even more and his eyes filled with a scary look. Sam could read a mixture of anger and satisfaction. Maybe he even saw pleasure in his brother's eyes. The whole look scared him and he could only think of the bad feeling he had ever since they came to Eden.

So that was it. He had been right all along. By getting involved in this case, they had attracted the spirit's attention and now it was after them – _after him_.

"Put the gun down and we'll talk" Sam pleaded. He shivered when he saw his brother smile, tightening his grip on his gun.

"What's there to talk about, Sammy?" he asked.

The youngest shivered at the use of the nickname but for once, he didn't feel like arguing about it.

"Just drop the gun…" Sam started. Dean shook his head.

"You know what I hate about you, Sam?"

Dean started balancing his weight from one foot to the other. He finally set to walking small circles around where he was standing near the Impala.

"It's that you're always right, aren't you?" he finished.

Sam shrugged. "Dean…" he started but Dean was fuming.

"No Sam, it's true. It's always been true. Ever since you were a kid, everything had to revolve around you. Even when dad was around, you'd always fight him on what he said… always needed to have the last word, didn't you?" Dean continued. Sam could feel the tension build. He knew that if this went on any longer, he'd be in for a bigger mess.

"It wasn't like that…" he pleaded but that only seemed to put oil in Dean's fire.

"That's bullshit! We always have to be at your feet when you have a bad feeling but what about our feelings?" Dean shouted. Sam steadied himself and looked at his brother directly in the eyes.

"You didn't listen to my feeling when I said I wanted to stay out of this hunt!" he pointed out.

Dean cursed loudly and walked towards Sam until he was a few inches away from his face, his gun down to his side but still clutched tightly in his hand.

"For once, Sam! For once, things didn't revolve around what you felt, but of course you can't have that!" he raged. Sam swallowed and his eyes filled with hurt. He looked like a beaten puppy. If Dean had been himself at the moment he would've given Sam credit for the puppy dog look but this Dean couldn't care less.

"Dean, you know it's not true. You're my brother and I care about you" Sam confessed, trying to get an emotional response but all he got was an explosion of anger.

"You care about me? Oh yeah you keep telling yourself that man, but tell me honestly Sam – when you left me to go to Stanford, did you care about how I felt? I don't think so because you did it again and again after that… But Sammy's greatest hit would be to have let the demon run with the Colt, which got dad killed!" Dean exploded.

Sam felt as though he had been plunged in ice water. His whole body went stiff and filled with tremors. Cold sweat ran down his back and pearled at his hairline. His mouth went dry and he could feel his heartbeat that had turned to a loud drumming through his head.

So that's how the spirit acted. It wasn't just getting revenge on brothers who liked to pick at each other. It dug painful memories of betrayal and used it to fuel desire for murder. Sam thought back to his father's journal and remembered reading something about specters. This was no ordinary ghost. He was now angry at himself for not getting Bobby's help on this one.

"How many times do I have to apologize for that?" Sam asked, visibly shaken. Dean was still standing too close to him and it made him shiver.

"Until you mean it" the eldest barked. He then threw a direct punch to Sam's face. The youngest regained his balance before he hit the ground. He steadied himself on his feet and rubbed his hand around the growing bruise on his cheek.

"I know it's not you, Dean. You know what the spirit can do!" Sam tried but his brother smiled.

"Oh don't worry, Dean's in there alright!" he grinned. "And he'll be more than happy to feel the snap of your bones!" he added before lunging forward and elbowing his kid brother in the stomach. This time, Sam lost his balance and ended up on his back. A soft groan of pain escaped from his lips before he could stop it.

After a few seconds and went to push himself up but Dean pointed his gun right down at him and Sam froze. Dean swallowed and stared down at Sam.

"You wanna know what hurts the most, Sammy?" Dean asked but he didn't really let Sam answer that question. Besides, Sam knew that even if he said he didn't want to know, Dean would just tell him anyway because Dean was not Dean at the moment. He was possessed by a specter.

"Even though you let dad and I down so many times, you were still his favorite…" Dean murmured. Sam felt deep pain erupt in his chest and it suddenly made it so hard to breathe.

"You know that's not true…" he breathed, softly pleading for his brother to believe him.

"You always had everything. Me, I had to watch out for you and make sure you didn't get hurt or anything. But dad… he was never proud of me the way he was proud of you" Dean continued, ignoring Sam's comment.

"And you got to get out, go to college, fall in love and have a normal life. While you were having your college boy wonderland, I was stuck hunting with dad. And you know what he kept talking about?" Dean asked but Sam knew that once more, he wasn't expecting him to reply because he would do it himself.

"He talked about you, Sam. All the time. The old man was so proud that you got to do what he could never do. He'd even drive to Palo Alto just to check on you and make sure you were okay" Dean confessed.

Sam knew about that fact but it always hurt just the same to hear it because he hadn't known back then. He always thought his father hated him for thinking differently. In fact, he was just jealous that Sam had the courage to get out. And Dean was jealous too. And just then, Sam realized just how much he hurt them. There was so much more to it than him just leaving and he could see that now.

"I'm sorry, Dean" Sam finally said. His brother finally looked him in the eyes and anger settled back in.

"It's too little too late for that now. I know what you really think, Sam. Remember when you were possessed by Ellicott? I still believe you meant those things you said back there" Dean started.

Sam went colder if possible. If Dean was bringing that up, it didn't mean anything good.

"Ellicott messed with my head, just like that specter is doing with you right now!" he tried. Dean shook his head.

"No I'm not messed up. Things are clearer now than they've ever been" he started, still keeping Sam down with his gun pointed at his brother's chest.

"Fight it, Dean. This isn't you!" Sam begged.

"What difference does it make, anyway? The only thing you've got against me is a spell and I believe it's in here" Dean chimed, taking out his phone from his pocket and shaking it so Sam would get the hint that he was screwed. The kid mentally cursed himself for not getting the spell from Bobby as he expected Dean to pass it on to him.

"I should have left you dead in Cold Oak" Dean spat.

Sam's heart shattered into pieces. He didn't care anymore who was talking through Dean, it all hurt too much anyway.

"I died for you, Sam. What did you do for me?"

Sam started sobbing. His eyes filled with tears and his breath caught in his throat.

"I'd do anything for you, you know that!" he cried. Dean shook his head, charged his gun and pointed it at Sam with coldness in his eyes.

"What I know is that you would have killed me in that asylum if given the chance! So consider this payback" he snapped and with that, the loud sound of gunshot rang in the deserted yard.

Sam's eyes snapped open as sharpening pain gripped him to his core. He looked down to see the blossoming blood soak through his shirt. He gasped softly and looked at his brother with wide eyes.

Dean stood frozen, a funny look on his face. Sam couldn't quite read it. It felt like… _guilt._

"Sam" he breathed, his eyes filled with pain at the realization of what he had done.

"Dean!" Sam uttered with the strength he had left. He could see in his brother's face that it was really his brother staring back at him.

"Sam I'm so sorry!" he cried. And then his face turned back into a cold mask. The specter had taken over once more.

"Dean, come back! You can fight it!" Sam pleaded. Dean shook his head.

"That won't happen again! He'll come back when you're dead!" the monster snapped. Sam's eyes enlarged at the revelation.

"That's it! You need me to be dead in order to leave! Well, I've got news for you, I'm pretty stubborn" Sam revealed. Dean smiled coldly.

"Not so much when I put another bullet through you" he started but Sam cut him up. He had a plan of his own and only wished it would work.

"Don't. Just hear me out and then if you still want me dead you can shoot me!" he begged. Dean shrugged and Sam ran his hand to his left side and pressed it against the bleeding wound while he took on a more comfortable position to talk. He coughed slightly and took another second to catch his breath.

"You're right! I've made mistakes and I have let you down. I didn't do this to hurt you, though. I did it for me and if it was selfish, then I'm sorry. But if there's one thing I know for sure it's that you have nothing to be jealous about. I owe you everything, hell I owe you with my life, because you've saved me so many times… I love my big brother for that. No matter how different we are, Dean'll always be my big brother. I'm the one who's been jealous all my life because Dad kept telling me to be more like Dean, but I couldn't…" Sam had to stop and catch his breath again. He could still feel the life flowing out of him and noted that he needed to act quickly if he didn't want to bleed out.

"Dean's always been my big brother hero. I looked up to him and still today, he's the only one who can make me feel safe. I would be nothing without him so I'm sorry for the pain I caused and I _would_ do anything for him if given the chance" Sam emphasized.

Dean's hands were shaking. Sam could see how distraught he looked.

"And I understand you're so mad at me, you'd want to hurt me. Just know that it's okay. I can take it and if it makes you feel better, than I forgive you" he said.

"Stop!" Dean said abruptly, his nervousness reaching a climax.

"I mean it, I forgive you and I'm sure if dad were here, he'd do the same!" he pressed.

"Stop it!" Dean pleaded. He closed his eyes tightly and his breathing was uneven. He finally took a good look at Sam and the sincerity inside the kid's eyes while his skin kept blanching from the loss of blood.

And he broke. The gun fell from his fingers and he dropped to his knees.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" the monster cried. Sam didn't know if he cried for him or for all the little brothers he killed out of anger.

"I'm sure Abel forgives you too. And your father his still proud of you" Sam added, hitting the right nerve.

The specter let out a painful wail and dark goo started to run down Dean's ears and nose. The cry went on until the goo dried and suddenly everything felt warm and calm.

Dean was on his knees and hands, panting harshly and trying to regain his senses after coming back to reality. He wiped at his ears and nose to remove the remaining goo. He sighed in relief and looked up to see Sam. His relief was short lived when he saw the state his brother was in.

Sam was almost translucent and sweat had started pouring from his brow. His shirt also seemed to cling to him in a mixture of blood and perspiration.

"Oh god, Sammy!" he breathed while running to his brother's side. He instinctively wrapped his arm around the kid's back and propped him up while holding him carefully. He frowned at the amount of blood that was on the ground and on his brother. Panic was evident in his face.

"Jesus Sam, I'm so sorry!" he cried while assessing the kid's condition.

Sam found it increasingly difficult to breathe. He was panting but still managed to nod his head at his brother.

"It's ok. I'm ok, Dean. Just get me home so we can remove the bullet and stitch me up" Sam said while trying to make himself sound assured. He coughed once more, a metallic taste filling his mouth.

Dean nodded but couldn't help himself from taking Sam's pulse from his wrist. Sam frowned but he let Dean check him over. He had never been so glad to see Dean being so – _Dean_-like.

"Can we just move" Sam asked, getting restless and fidgety. Dean nodded.

"You sure you can make the ride? Your pulse is a little fast" he asked, concerned.

Sam felt annoyed but he knew his brother was just being worried so he nodded and promised once more that he was fine. Dean nodded and helped his brother to the car. He settled Sam so the kid would be comfortable and grabbed a towel from the trunk of the Impala.

When he came back to the driver's seat, he handed Sam the towel.

"Here, hold that against the wound to stop the bleeding" he ordered.

Sam would have complained but he was feeling drained so he obliged. Dean noticed that and his big brother alarm turned back on. It always did when his little brother was hurt and that nagging feeling that clawed at his gut wouldn't leave him until Sam was okay.

He started the drive back to Eden. He alternated between checking the road and checking his brother who was restless in his seat. Dean could see that Sam was shivering slightly so he turned on the heater.

"Where're we?" Sam asked. Dean turned to meet glassy eyes staring back at him.

"We're going back to the hotel in Eden. Hang on, it's about ten minutes from here" Dean informed.

"What we doin' in Eden?" Sam slurred between two breaths. Dean could actually hear his brother's breathing from where he sat. He was getting a sense of foreboding.

"Don't you remember?" Dean asked, his voice hardly masking his concern.

Sam sat there, trying to make sense of his surroundings and almost getting angry at his lack of memory. Then it hit him when he felt the pain in his left side.

"Ghost… you were possessed" Sam started and looked at Dean with fear and confusion in his eyes, as if trying to see if Dean was really Dean or if it was the ghost talking.

"You killed it, Sam! You'll have to tell me how you pulled that out, it was amazing!" Dean congratulated but Sam trailed off once more. Dean started to get really nervous. He knew his brother could be a bitch when he was hurt but the lack of awareness was starting to scare him.

"Sam, are you okay over there?" he asked, no longer trying to hide the concern in his voice.

"…m' cold D'n…" he slurred. Before letting his head roll above his chest.

"I know you are, kiddo. Just hang on, we're almost there. Then you can warm up all you want!" Dean said.

Sam nodded and closed his eyes briefly.

"Hey, stay with me, you hear?" Dean pushed, speaking louder now.

Sam nodded and opened his eyes lazily. Dean was gripping the wheel so tightly now that his knuckles where turning white.

"Sam, give me your hand please" Dean asked.

Sam would have complained. He would have bitched at Dean for being so overprotective. That was Sam. But he didn't do it this time. That scared Dean some more. His brother pulled out his hand and let it drop heavily next to his brother's leg.

Dean grabbed the kid's wrist and cursed.

"Holy crap!" he muttered, feeling the icy skin of Sam's arm. He turned the clammy hand over and pressed his fingers to Sam's wrist. "Holy crap!" he murmured once more. Sam's pulse was weak and way too rapid. He had no doubt anymore; his brother was going into shock.

"Sam?" Dean asked worried. His brother sluggishly turned his head to him when he started coughing harder than he had before. It went on for a few seconds before it grew loud and deep. Dean looked in horror as droplets of blood escaped his brother's lips.

"D'n…" he slurred. His brother could understand the apology behind the kid's cry.

"It's ok, Sam. You're ok!" he said, not knowing who he was trying to convince. "Just stay with me" Dean begged.

Sam shivered. "m' sorry…" he slurred. And with that he was gone from the land of consciousness. Panic grabbed Dean's stomach. "Sam? SAM!" he yelled.

Dean saw the hotel coming into view and looked his brother over once more.

"Oh and what the hell?! " he screamed as he pulled back to the road and stomped on the accelerator.

"Hold on, Sam. We're going to the hospital!" he shouted at his unconscious brother.

"Just hold on" he begged.

**TBC**

**This is it for now. I know I didn't really want to set the timing of the story and I debated on it a lot while writing the chapter and then I finally decided that it would be somewhere at the very beginning of season 4 but not following the storyline of the show. **

**I want to thank the people who take the time to leave feedback but of course all of you who take the time to read and follow the story! Thank you it means a lot and I hope you still like the story so far!**

**Stay tuned for some hurt!Sam because I just can't help it ! Hehe. **


	5. Chapter 5

_Dean saw the motel coming into view and looked his brother over once more._

_"Oh and what the hell?! " he screamed as he pulled back to the road and stomped on the accelerator._

_"Hold on, Sam. We're going to the hospital!" he shouted at his unconscious brother._

_"Just hold on" he begged._

Dean looked at the road and recounted that they were about twenty minutes away from the hospital. Even if he managed to make it in fifteen by breaking every possible speed limit, he was still worried that he would not make it in time.

He tried to concentrate on Sam, even if he had to still keep an eye on the road. He turned the music off and lowered the vents so he could hear Sam's breathings. After years of taking care of the kid, he was starting to recognize the different patterns. Right now he could tell that Sam had a hard time taking in enough oxygen. Sam's attempts to pull a breath in came out in wheezes.

"Sam?" Dean tried. He really just wanted to get a response from his brother. "Sam" he repeated, pushing the kid's shoulder softly. That earned him a grunt from the passenger side.

Dean sighed and laid his eyes back on the road, hitting the gas a little harder along with the sense of dread that built inside his stomach. After a few more calls, Sam managed to open his eyes to slits before he was taken into a violent coughing fit and more blood trickled down his chin.

"It's gonna be okay" Dean assured, although he wasn't feeling so convinced by his own words. Sam turned his head towards him softly before resting his head again the seat.

"It'll be better if you stay awake" Dean tried. Sam looked at him with pain-filled eyes.

"tired…" Sam whispered, his voice catching in his raspy throat.

"I know but you can't rest now. Just hold on a little longer" Dean pleaded. Sam nodded but his brother's plea was lost to him.

"d…you mean it?" Sam suddenly mumbled, his sentences fragmented by the flurry in his brain and the pain in his chest that made it so damn hard to breathe.

"Mean what, Sam?" Dean asked and although he didn't mean to sound brutal, he was afraid of what Sam was going to say. His brother had such a talent to throw a chick-flick in the most inappropriate moments.

"You regret the deal?" Sam asked way too clearly and a shiver ran down Dean's back. He knew what his brother was asking by that. He was wondering if Dean regretted the day he brought his little brother back from the dead by making a deal to save his life, which got him into hell a year later.

"Why would you even think that?" Dean asked with visible anger but he wasn't angry at Sam, he was angry at the fact that his brother doubted his love for him. He was brought back from his thoughts when Sam coughed again.

"You… said… should'a l'ft me… die" Sam said in between his attempted breaths. He started wheezing again and Dean had to grip the steering wheel tighter to keep himself from losing it completely.

"Hey, would you stop saying stupid things and just breathe for God's sake!" Dean snapped. Sam looked at him in surprise and confusion before his eyes started drooping again. Dean calmed himself down as well.

"I'm sorry, but I just _need_ you to understand that I'd do it again if I had to" Dean confessed on a calmer tone. His voice was almost pleading. Sam's eyes were closed now. He snorted.

"Thanks" he breathed softly. And his smile faded as he lost his battle against consciousness once more.

"Damn it, Sammy" Dean sniffled. He wouldn't lose it because he couldn't do that to his brother but he felt bad enough that if Sam didn't need him so much right now, he'd crawl under a rock.

"We said we'd be taking vacations after this hunt. I'm holding you onto this one! We're taking a break and that's me _and you_! " Dean emphasized, hoping Sam could hear the underlying meaning in his sentence. _You better be alive to be part of those vacations!_

And Dean kept driving and Sam came around once or twice, coughing up droplets of blood before going down again. The eldest finally saw the signs that pointed to the ER admittance and rushed towards it. He didn't know how he managed to drag Sam's gigantic ass into the hospital but he blamed it on big-brother urgency and adrenaline.

Sam was quickly brought away from him and the doctors were asking him questions about the shooter. _Was there any chance that he was still around, what kind of fire arm did he use?_ Dean wanted to say that the shooter was right in front of her but a pang of guilt tore at his insides and he decided that he didn't know what happened and found his brother like that. Even if he felt terrible about it, he couldn't risk not being granted access to his brother.

Sam was wheeled for examination and nurses first assessed his vitals. There was a flurry of medical jargon about a _sucking gunshot wound to the chess, massive blood loss _and_ instable vitals._ Blood was suctioned from his mouth before they manually bagged him. Another listened to his breathings. "There's no breathing sound on the left side" the nurse informed. Sam was hooked to several more machines.

The physician in charge started barking orders. _Intubate now and seal the wound… Insert a chest tube… Start an IV line with saline… Get 6 units of blood and prepare for transport to the OR... Gotta remove that bullet before it does any more damage!_

And as quickly as Sam had been wheeled into the ER, he was wheeled out towards the OR.

Dean was pacing into the waiting room. He was nervous and overwhelmed with guilt. He could only think about how Sam was scared when they got into this case. And his brother kept telling him that it could turn out wrong but Dean never listened to Sam. He'd only shrug it off, thinking that there was no way he would have gotten caught by the ghost. But he did and for his carelessness, Sam was now in critical condition and he might die. Dean hated himself for everything that had happened. He might not have been the one in control when he shot his brother but he had let this happen from the beginning and if he lost his brother, he would be the only one to blame.

A man wearing a white lab coat came towards the waiting room and Dean had the feeling that he was going to call for him. And he did. Dean walked up to the man and they shook hands briefly.

"I'm Doctor Smith. I am the physician assigned to Sam's case" he said. Dean nodded and introduced himself as well.

"Do you mind following me to a calmer place to talk?" the doctor asked and Dean only followed him out of procedure. He noticed that the doctor had led him near the OR area. They stopped at an office and Dean was invited to sit down. He obliged and waited for the dreaded news.

"Well, how do I start? I won't lie to you, your brother is in a critical state. We're prepping him for surgery as we speak and as soon as we're finished here, I'm going to surgically remove the bullet that entered Sam's chest wall on his left side. The surgery will allow us to repair a puncture wound to his left lung. Those wounds are tricky and we call them sucking wounds. When Sam tried to breathe, the air collected outside his lung, causing it to collapse. That condition his called a traumatic pneumothorax and we've quickly inserted a chest tube to drain the excess of air and blood that compresses his lung" the doctor explained. Dean nodded but he felt like he was being spoken to in Chinese. He was happy that the doctor at least explained the big words to him.

"As for the blood loss, we've already started him on transfusions and he'll be given frozen plasma to get his blood pressure up again. Of course, Sam was in an advanced state of hypovolemic shock when you brought him in. We're assessing that condition as well by giving him fluids through an IV. He's also on mechanical ventilation until his lungs have healed enough, but also to keep his airway safe" the physician continued. Dean was getting dizzy at all that information but he felt like he was aware of what was going on and that made him feel better somehow.

"So what happens next?" Dean asked. The doctor sighed. "Well, as I said we'll start by trying to see if we can remove the bullet…" he started. Dean frowned. "If you can?" he blurted out. The doctor nodded.

"Bullets are unpredictable. It can be anywhere and if it's not safe to remove it, we might have to let it in" the doctor affirmed. "But won't that be dangerous?" Dean asked. The doctor sighed. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it but it is possible to live with a bullet inside our body" the physician explained. Dean nodded.

"Aside from that, we'll also make sure that the bullet didn't create other damage in its course" the doctor concluded. Seeing the look on Dean's face he added "we'll make sure the bullet didn't crack a rib or tear another organ" he finished. Dean finally nodded.

"I'll tell you more when the surgery is over. For now you can go to the waiting room and we'll update you as soon as we can" the doctor said. Dean understood that the physician had to get back to his brother but somehow he enjoyed his presence because he could tell him more about Sam and because he knew that when he'd get back to the waiting room, he'd be all alone.

"How long is the surgery going to take" he finally blurted. The doctor shrugged. "We never know. Depends on how serious Sam's injuries are" he admitted truthfully. Dean nodded sadly and followed Doctor Smith out of the room and into the waiting room.

Dean sat down and waited. He stopped watching at the clock after some time. Even in the first hours of the day, he didn't have any news. He had thought about calling Bobby but he couldn't bring himself to dial the hunter's number because he couldn't tell the man who was like a father to them that he had shot his brother.

Early morning came and Sam still wasn't out of surgery. Dean was going out of his mind at not getting any update on his brother's condition. He could only replay the doctor's words in his head. _Depends on how serious his injuries are – it's been hours so how really serious is this? How badly have I hurt him? _He jumped out of his thoughts when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He had totally forgotten that there still existed a world out of the waiting room. He frowned when he saw the name on the caller ID.

"Hello" he murmured on the phone.

"_Dean?_"

"Bobby" Dean stated. It wasn't a question but a fact. The Winchester wondered if the hunter would understand from his tone that he wasn't up to talk. _Not until he was sure Sam was okay._

"_What's up with you, Sport? I was expecting your call after I gave you that exorcism. Did you find your ghost?_ "Bobby asked, not really sensing how Dean wasn't up to chatting.

"I'd say it found me" he replied quietly, guilt obvious in his voice.

"_What do you mean - it found you?_"

Dean sighed loudly. He was getting angry at how the hunter didn't understand and he didn't want to explain.

"It got in me…" Dean breathed and his lip started to tremble. His voice broke and he could feel the sting of tears in his eyes.

"_How's Sam_" Bobby finally asked, understanding the situation and worry took place inside his chest.

"Not good" Dean stated sadly. A silence came upon the line and Dean shook his head to try to remove the tears from his vision. "I shot him, Bobby" he finally said.

"_Damn it, Dean_" Bobby spat. "_How bad is it_" he finally asked.

"He's still in surgery. It's been hours, Bobby" the eldest Winchester sobbed.

"_Don't worry, Dean. Sam's a tough kid and you didn't kill him. You'll have to tell me how you got rid of it!_" the hunter reassured.

Dean nodded absently. "He is a tough kid. I guess I just want him to be okay. I'm so glad Sam got rid of the ghost before it could finish him…it was such a close call, Bobby" he admitted.

Bobby felt a stab of sympathy for the boys he had grown to love like his sons. "_He will be okay. Call me if you need anything. I can come too if you want me there_" Bobby proposed.

And Dean was once more reminded why he was so fond of the man. "Thanks Bobby. I'll call you if there's anything" he said.

They said goodbyes and Dean placed his phone back into his pocket. After several more minutes that appeared like hours, Doctor Smith finally came out to find Dean. The eldest Winchester stood up abruptly to meet the physician.

"How is he?" he blurted out. Seeing that the waiting room was empty at this time, the doctor invited Dean to sit down and he sat next to him.

"Sam is in recovery right now. He will remain there until he can be moved to the intensive care unit. The surgery was successful although it was pretty touch-and-go at times during the procedure" the doctor explained. Dean frowned and waited to have more details to go with the announcements.

"Because of shock, your brother's vitals were unstable. Sam sustained extended damage, above what we could see from the outside. The bullet that entered his left side punctured his lung but it also caused a tear in Sam's stomach wall. It wasn't large but the internal bleeding it caused gave us a hard time controlling it. We had to stitch both wounds while making sure Sam didn't bleed out in the process. As for precaution, your brother has had a nasogastric tube inserted to drain the bleeding that could have entered his stomach while cleaning it. When the aspirate is clear, that tube will be removed" Doctor Smith continued. Dean felt uneasy and his stomach was churning badly. The doctor went on with his report.

"Your brother's blood pressure also kept dropping and eventually he coded on the table. We were able to bring his heart back to a regular beat but his condition was still unstable through most of the surgery. Once we managed to control the internal bleeding and stitch him up, his vitals stabilized enough to warrant him a place in recovery" the physician finally said with an encouraging smile. Dean's face had fallen when he heard that Sam had almost died during surgery. He couldn't accept that he could've killed his brother. The doctor seemed to have more to say and Dean did ask him what was going to happen now.

"Although Sam's condition is getting better, the first 24 hours are still crucial. Sam needs to be hydrated with fluids and we'll be giving him antibiotics to prevent any infection that might occur. He'll also be on a ventilator for the time needed for his lung to recover. The chest tube we've inserted will also be in place for as long as your brother's lung doesn't stay inflated on its own. It will drain any excess of air or blood that would remain in Sam's chest cavity. Once it does, we can consider removing the tube. We do not like to keep them for too long because we are aware of the risk of infection that they present. As soon as Sam will be doing well enough on his own, we will remove the ventilator and the chest tube and get him moving again. He's in good physical shape so he should recover quickly" the man assured. Dean didn't know if he had to be happy because his brother was still hurt and he knew Winchester's luck was no luck at all.

Dean finally swallowed and felt just how dry his throat was. "Is there anything I should know or worry about" he dared to ask. The doctor scratched the back of his head and thought for a second.

"Well, Sam might not be awake for a while. We'd like to keep him intubated for at least the first 24 hours and it's quite uncomfortable for the patient. Either way, he'd mostly be out of it because of the pain. We're giving him strong pain medication so he will be out of commission for a while. Our concerns are now orientated towards the risk of infection or clotting from the lack of movement. We will be monitoring him closely to make sure that doesn't happen. There's also always a risk of pneumonia because of the ventilator but we would like to remove it before it gets there" Doctor Smith explained truthfully.

Dean shivered. "Can I see him" he blurted out. The doctor offered him a sympathetic smile.

"I know you're worried. I have a brother too. It won't be long and Sam's in good hands. But you will have to wait until he is moved to the ICU. Someone will come get you" he answered. Dean nodded and felt defeated because for once he couldn't argue. If it was for Sam's safety, he would have to oblige. He thanked the doctor and moved to the ICU waiting room like he was told to do.

More time passed and it was almost noon when someone finally approached him. The nurse mentioned that Sam had been settled in and that she'd be in charge of his brother. Dean had read her name on her name tag but she giggled. "Call me Lorie" she asked with a smile. Dean couldn't help but notice that she was attractive. She had light brown hair pulled back in a disheveled bun. Her blue eyes locked into his greens. Any other time, he would have given her the cocky grin and asked if she wanted to get lucky tonight. Instead he just smiled sadly and his haunted look wasn't lost to her.

Her smile died down a little and she stopped in front of Sam's room. "Hit the call button if you need anything" she said. Dean nodded simply and entered the room. Sam was not the only patient in the room. A couple of beds were lined against the wall, each of them separated by a curtain. Dean found his little brother in the last bed next to the wall. He took in the sight before him and shivered. For his and his brother's sake, he pulled the curtain all around the bed to allow them some privacy. There was a large cushioned chair next to the bed and Dean pulled it closer to the side of the bed.

The eldest hadn't expected things to be so impressive. There were so many monitors all around the bed that there was hardly any room for people around it. Each of the machines had their own function. Dean tried to guess what they were for while looking at which of the numerous tubes they were attached to. There was a monitor for ventilation that was attached to the tube sticking out of his brother's mouth. The one in his nose was smaller and led to another machine. The cardiac monitor showed the usual information and was hooked to his brother's chest. A cuff on his arm allowed his blood pressure to be known and the pulse oximeter on his finger informed of the level of oxygen in his blood. Many bags hung above the bed and some of them were attached to IV lines hooked to Sam's arms. A smaller container was meant to collect Sam's urine output but Dean shivered at the idea of where the tube was connected.

His eyes finally rested on his kid brother's chest. The area where Sam was shot was undressed and wrapped in gauze. A plastic tube indeed stuck out from a bandage. That tube had its own machine and Dean could only guess that this machine worked as a drain. And those tubes were the ones he knew but there were so many. The eldest felt cold and empty at the idea that he had caused this. Sam was hurt badly because of him.

And the monitors beeped and the vent whooshed and Sam's chest rose then fell mechanically. Dean sighed nervously. He wanted to cry out but he was just too angry at himself for being the one to blame for this. He looked down and placed his face in his hands. Sam was so still it scared him. The constant beeping of the monitor was Dean's only anchor, the only thing reminding him that his brother was still with him.

He finally looked up and laid his hands on the bed. He was debating whether to grab his brother's hand or not. He didn't want to injure the kid anymore than he already had. He finally decided to grab Sam's fingers but remained careful around the tubes. His lips quivered. He looked up to Sam's face. The kid's lips were parted and his eyes remained close. Dean wanted to hurl at that instant.

"Sam" he choked. Of course he wasn't expecting an answer and he didn't get one either.

"God, Sammy" he cried. And that's when all Hell broke loose. Tears fell before he could stop them. _What have I done?_, he thought. His brother had been worried sick about this hunt and Dean jumped right into it. He had been scared too but he shrugged it off to protect his pride. There was no more pride in him. Only guilt and pain at the sight of what he did. Sam was his responsibility after all and he failed him.

Ever since he got back from Hell, things had been different of course. Sam had to live for months without him, thinking he was gone for good and actually being the one who watched him die at the hand of the Hellhounds. Dean had been surprised to get back but not as much as Sam was when his big brother walked back into his life.

But their happiness was short lived because they were Winchesters after all. Soon they had started bickering again. Haunted by his time in Hell, Dean hid everything from Sam and coped with alcohol and silence. That was tearing Sam apart and Dean knew it but he couldn't help it. He had endured too much torture while he was in the pit and he wasn't ready to have a chick flick over it. Sam was more into the talking-our-feelings-out thing. Him, he'd just drink himself into oblivion and punch and kick as many evil beings as he could.

But above all the physical and psychological torture that he'd lived in Hell, nothing compared to this. Nothing beat seeing his brother so hurt and being the one that caused it. That was something he couldn't live with. Sam had to be okay or Dean would never forgive himself. He had died for his brother and he would do it again with his brother if it came to it.

Dean trembled and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Sammy, I'm really sorry" he started. He took a deep breath and his eyes focused on something he wasn't seeing.

"Once more I realize how screwed up I am. Whether you're 5, 25 or 75, you'll always be my kid brother and my responsibility. I don't know why I keep failing you like that. You were right, we shouldn't have gone on this hunt. Now you're hurt and I'm the one to blame" Dean choked. He was overwhelmed by his emotions.

"I know I need to trust you more and I will. When we get out of here, I'll try harder. You have to let me try.

And I guess I have to let you be an adult now. I can't imagine not taking care of you but if I have to in order to let you grow then I will. But to grow you have to live…" Dean stopped because he wanted to believe that Sam could hear him and that he understood why he was saying this.

"Please, Sammy! You have to live" he begged. He got no response once again.

And the monitors beeped and the vent whooshed and Sam's chest rose then fell mechanically. But at least his brother was alive. That's all that mattered before he could start thinking about all the possibilities of what could go wrong. Because they were Winchesters and things never ended well for a Winchester.

**TBC**

**That's it for now! Thank you again for the amazing reviews I got! They really mean the world to me and make it so much more exciting for me to write this story! I think about you when I spend hours typing this and researching everything I say (because yeah I'm not a doctor so if anything doesn't sound right, please let me know) and I'm just trying to give it my best so hopefully you'll like it. Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**I'm not done having fun with Sam so you might want to stay tuned to see what happens next! **

**Take care of yourselves til next time!**


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